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It was an open question for a long time if black holes obeyed the laws of thermodynamics. Everything else we know does, so we figured they should--it would be odd if they didn't. Hawking radiation gave a plausible mechanism that explains how they follow the laws of thermodynamics. What's also nice about it is that (as I understand it) he didn't invent new physical laws, but rather applied quantum mechanics to what general relativity told us about black holes at the event horizon. So assuming GR and quantum mechanics are accurate theories, black holes don't break the laws of thermodynamics.
Quote from: JP on 29/08/2011 16:05:38It was an open question for a long time if black holes obeyed the laws of thermodynamics. Everything else we know does, so we figured they should--it would be odd if they didn't. Hawking radiation gave a plausible mechanism that explains how they follow the laws of thermodynamics. What's also nice about it is that (as I understand it) he didn't invent new physical laws, but rather applied quantum mechanics to what general relativity told us about black holes at the event horizon. So assuming GR and quantum mechanics are accurate theories, black holes don't break the laws of thermodynamics. If matter and antimatter are gravitationally repulsive
So the matter black hole will contain the annihilation reaction, inside the event horizon, of anti-matter particles being absorbed into it? Or will the annihilation happen AT the event horizon allowing some of the energy to escape and radiate away?
Quote from: MikeS on 29/08/2011 17:13:32If matter and antimatter are gravitationally repulsive I've not heard anything about such a reaction. There is no reason for them to be gravitationally repulsive. The distinguishing feature that sets these two examples of matter apart is only their electric charge. IMHO
If matter and antimatter are gravitationally repulsive
A reversal of charge can be viewed as a reversal of time. Relativity and the laws of physics allow for such a possibility but it is not a mainstream view.